The present subject matter is directed generally towards a system and method for estimating the location of a wireless mobile device that is in communication with a wireless communications network. More specifically, the present subject matter relates to the problem of estimating the location of a wireless mobile device using information from one or more Network Measurement Reports (“NMRs”) which may be generated by a wireless communications network or the mobile device.
As is well known in the art, the use of wireless communication devices such as telephones, pagers, personal digital assistants, laptop computers, anti-theft devices, etc., hereinafter referred to collectively as “mobile devices”, has become prevalent in today's society. Along with the proliferation of these mobile devices is the safety concern associated with the need to locate the mobile device, for example in an emergency situation. For example, the Federal Communication Commission (“FCC”) has issued a geolocation mandate for providers of wireless telephone communication services that puts in place a schedule and an accuracy standard under which the providers of wireless communications must implement geolocation technology for wireless telephones when used to make a 911 emergency telephone call (FCC 94-102 E911). In addition to E911 emergency related issues, there has been increased interest in technology which can determine the geographic position, or “geolocate” a mobile device. For example, wireless telecommunications providers are developing location-enabled services for their subscribers including roadside assistance, turn-by-turn driving directions, concierge services, location-specific billing rates and location-specific advertising.
Currently in the art, there are a number of different ways to geolocate a mobile device. For example, providers of wireless communication services have installed mobile device location capabilities into their networks. In operation, these network overlay location systems take measurements on radio frequency (“RF”) transmissions from mobile devices at base station locations surrounding the mobile device and estimate the location of the mobile device with respect to the base stations. Because the geographic location of the base stations is known, the determination of the location of the mobile device with respect to the base station permits the geographic location of the mobile device to be determined. The RF measurements of the transmitted signal at the base stations can include the time of arrival, the angle of arrival, the signal power, or the unique/repeatable radio propagation path (radio fingerprinting) derivable features. In addition, the geolocation systems can also use collateral information, e.g., information other than that derived for the RF measurement to assist in the geolocation of the mobile device, i.e., location of roads, dead-reckoning, topography, map matching, etc.
In a network-based geolocation system, the mobile device to be located is typically identified and radio channel assignments determined by (a) monitoring the control information transmitted on radio channel for telephone calls being placed by the mobile device or on a wireline interface to detect calls of interest, i.e., 911, (b) a location request provided by a non-mobile device source, i.e., an enhanced services provider. Once a mobile device to be located has been identified and radio channel assignments determined, the location determining system is first tasked to determine the geolocation of the mobile device and then directed to report the determined position to the requesting entity or enhanced services provider.
The monitoring of the RF transmissions from the mobile device or wireline interfaces to identify calls of interest is known as “tipping”, and generally involves recognizing a call of interest being made from a mobile device and collecting the call setup information. Once the mobile device is identified and the call setup information is collected, the location determining system can be tasked to geolocate the mobile device.
While the above-described systems are useful in certain situations, there is a need to streamline the process in order to efficiently and effectively handle the vast amount of data being sent between the wireless communications network and the large number of mobile devices for which locations are to be determined. In this regard, the present subject matter overcomes the limitations of the prior art by estimating the location of a wireless mobile device using, at least in part, one or more pre-existing Network Measurement Reports (“NMRs”) which include calibration data for a number of locations within a geographic region. The calibration data for these locations must be gathered and analyzed so that particular points (e.g., “grid points”) within the geographic region can be determined and associated with a particular set or sets of calibration data from, for example, one or more NMRs. Then, the received signal level measurements reported by the mobile device to be geolocated may be compared with the data associated with the various grid points to estimate the location of the mobile device. The performance of a grid-based pattern matching system such as that disclosed herein is typically dependent on stored received signal level measurements that accurately reflect the levels that are likely to be reported by the mobile device to be located. These grid points do not necessarily have to be part of a uniform grid and usually will not be uniformly distributed throughout the geographic region. These non-uniform grid points (“NUGs”), once determined, can be assigned geographic coordinates so that the NUGs may be used in determining the location of a mobile device exhibiting certain attributes as discussed in more detail below.
Accordingly, an embodiment of the present subject matter provides a method for assigning geographical coordinates to a grid point located in a geographic region for the location of a mobile device where the method provides calibration data for each of one or more calibration points in the geographic region and where for each of the calibration points the associated calibration data is evaluated and based on that evaluation a determination is made as to whether at least one grid point should be defined, and if so, geographical coordinates are assigned to the grid point.
An additional embodiment of the present subject matter further includes in the above method a determination of geographical coordinates for each of a plurality of nodes of a uniform grid spanning the geographic region and for each of the grid points determining a closest node from the plurality of nodes and assigning characteristic data associated with the grid point to the closest node.
A further embodiment includes a method of assigning geographical coordinates to a grid point located in a geographic region for the location of a mobile device where calibration data for each of one or more calibration points in the geographic region are provided, and where for the calibration data associated with each of the calibration points the calibration data is evaluated, a determination is made based on the evaluation as to whether at least one grid point should be defined, and geographical coordinates are assigned to the grid point.
In another embodiment of the present subject matter, a system for assigning geographical coordinates to a grid point located in a geographic region is presented where the system includes a database and a processor for receiving calibration data for each of one or more calibration points in the geographic region and for each of the calibration points the processor is programmed to evaluate the associated calibration data, determine if at least one grid point should be defined based on the evaluation, assign geographical coordinates to the at least one grid point, and populate the database with the geographical coordinates.
A further embodiment of the present subject matter includes in the above system circuitry for determining geographical coordinates for each of a plurality of nodes of a uniform grid spanning the geographic region, and circuitry for determining, for each of the at least one grid point, a closest node from the plurality of nodes and assigning characteristic data associated with the grid point to the closest node.
Yet another embodiment of the present subject matter provides a method of locating a mobile device. The method comprises the steps of providing a plurality of grid points in a geographic region, providing a plurality of network measurement reports for a mobile device in the geographic region, and comparing ones of the plurality of grid points to at least one parameter of ones of the plurality of network measurement reports. The method further includes generating a first location estimate of the mobile device for each of the ones of said plurality of network measurement reports, and determining a second location estimate of the mobile device as a function of at least one of the generated first location estimates. An additional embodiment includes the step of identifying and omitting outlier first location estimates by determining a Mahalanobis distance from each first location estimate to the second location estimate, determining a distance threshold from a median of the Mahalanobis distances multiplied by a predetermined factor, and determining a third location estimate by averaging two or more of said first location estimates. Another embodiment may also interpolate between ones of the plurality of grid points when more than one grid point corresponds to the at least one parameter of the plurality of network measurement reports. An additional embodiment may provide a default location for the second location estimate if a second location estimate cannot be determined as a function of at least one of the generated first location estimates.
An additional embodiment of the present subject matter provides a method of improving a location estimate of a mobile device. The method comprises the steps of providing a plurality of grid points in a geographic region, providing a set of network measurement reports for a mobile device in the geographic region, the set of network measurement reports including one or more subsets of network measurement reports, and comparing ones of the plurality of grid points to at least one parameter of a subset of the network measurement reports. The method further includes generating a first location estimate of the mobile device for each subset of network measurement reports, determining a second location estimate of the mobile device as a function of at least one of the generated first location estimates, and indicating an attribute of the second location estimate as a function of a parameter of a subset of the network measurement reports.
These embodiments and many other objects and advantages thereof will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from a perusal of the claims, the appended drawings, and the following detailed description of the embodiments.